Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal: Betting preview for Champions League clash

Arsenal take on Athletic Bilbao at the San Mamés Stadium this evening in their opening game of the Champions League table phase.

Arsenal are kicking off their 2025/26 Champions League campaign on the back of a strong start domestically. They recently beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Emirates, showing both firepower and defensive solidity. Injuries continue to disrupt them, though, so squad depth is being tested early.

Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, are making their return to the Champions League for the first time since 2014-15. They started La Liga well, though their momentum was checked by a surprise 1-0 home loss to Alavés. They’ll be keen to restore confidence at San Mamés and put in a strong showing in Europe’s top competition.

Team News & Injury Concerns

Arsenal

• Martin Ødegaard, the Arsenal captain, is out for this match with a shoulder injury sustained against Forest.
• Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus remain unavailable.
• William Saliba is expected to be fit enough to return after an ankle issue.
• Ben White was on the bench recently but is injured again after picking up a knock.

Athletic Bilbao

• Nico Williams is a doubt after picking up an adductor-related injury.
• Beñat Prados has suffered a serious ACL injury and will be out for the rest of the season.
• Yeray Álvarez is suspended — serving a 10-month ban.

So both teams will be missing key players. For Arsenal, the losses of Ødegaard and Saka are particularly notable. For Bilbao, missing Nico and Prados weakens both attacking threat and midfield depth.

Betting Odds & Best Bets

Betting activity around this game is expected to be high as Champions League games are usually as exciting as playing the plinko game online.

Here are some of the current odds and interesting bets for this match, with value picks flagged:

Full-Time Result – Arsenal to win – 1.80 : Arsenal are favourites at plinko casino with odds of 1.80 to win the game. Despite injury absences, their depth and recent form give them a good chance of picking up three points.

Over/Under Goals – Under 2.5 goals – 1.80 : With some attacking players missing, goals might be harder to come by. Also, Athletic tend to grind out tight games.

Both Teams to Score – No – 1.90 : If Arsenal can neutralize Athletic’s attacking outlets and maintain defensive focus, this is a strong option.

Correct Score – 0-2 to Arsenal – 7.00: A clean, professional away win for Arsenal is a plausible outcome.

Anytime Goalscorer – Viktor Gyökeres – 2.00: Gyökeres has shown good form recently having scored 3 goals in 4 games; he looks one of the likelier sources of a goal given Arsenal’s current attacking options.

Score Prediction

Given Arsenal’s strong recent run, their squad depth (even with absentees), and their defensive solidity, I believe they’ll manage a disciplined away performance. Athletic Bilbao will try to make San Mamés a fortress, but I predict that Arsenal will edge this close match.

Final Prediction: Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Verdict

Arsenal look like the value bet in this fixture — a win feels likely even if it might not be easy. The odds for Under 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score “No” seem sensible given the absences and recent form. If you’re backing an individual player, Gyökeres is a good shout for an anytime goal. For fans, this is an important one psychologically — a positive start in Europe could help set the tone for what Arsenal hope will be a breakthrough season.

As always, bet responsibly: odds can shift, injuries can emerge up to kick-off, and the Champions League is full of surprises. Good luck if you’re backing this one!